Pushing Limits
by Zoey Skywalker 11
Summary: How far can one Jedi Padawan push before he just can’t go anymore?
1. The Hidden Suffering

Title-Pushing Limits

Author-Zoey Skywalker 11

Summary-How far can one Jedi Padawan push before he can't go anymore?

Rating-PG

Time Frame-JA-Obi-wan is 14.

Spoilers- I don't think so.

Reviews- Love them! But please be nice.

Disclaimer-The world of Star Wars belongs to the God known as George Lucas. I only live in the world, I don't own it.

Author's Note #1-Thanks to my beta, dragonslore1988.

A/N #2-This chapter is a little short for my tastes, but it is just the set-up. They will get longer, I promise.

Pushing Limits

Chapter 1-The Hidden Suffering

Obi-Wan Kenobi was tired. More than tired, he was exhausted. As a Jedi Padawan, this was nothing new. He was used to having to miss a night of sleep or two on a mission. But this was different: he was at home. This was supposed to be a time of rest and relaxation for him and his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn.

'Relaxation? Yeah, right. A battlefield is more relaxing,' the Padawan thought.

The team of Jinn and Kenobi had been back at the Jedi Temple for just over a week. The two had been on back-to-back missions for over four months, which was much longer than what was customary for a team so young. Generally Padawans who were Obi-Wan's age never spent more than two months at a time out in the field. Unfortunately for Obi-Wan that was one of the downsides of having one of the greatest living Jedi as your Master: a lot of field work.

The other problem with having a Master of Jinn's caliber was what was plaguing Obi-Wan right now. The fourteen-year old Padawan had a reputation that he had to live up to. All of his superiors held him to the high standard that his Master had established for himself. It was not fair. Obi-Wan had only been a Padawan for a year and a half. That was really enough time for Qui-Gon's teachings to make him stronger and better than the initiates he had worked side-by-side with for over ten years. Sure, Obi-Wan was probably above-average in his age group in many subjects, but he was not a smaller version of his Master.

Unfortunately, that was not what many of his teachers thought. He was often graded more critically than the other Padawans. And then there were the extra things to do. Teachers were constantly "strongly encouraging" Obi-Wan to take extra enrichment classes and seminars, become a teacher's assistant and the list went on. The problem was that these "requests" could almost never be refused. For many teachers, saying no to these without his Master's signature would mean harsher standards and requirements that would make good grades almost unattainable.

Besides, turning these extra things down could disappoint his Master. Obi-Wan loved Qui-Gon more than anyone else in the world and would never do anything to hurt him or his reputation. A part of Obi-Wan kept saying that this was the real reason he kept doing all of this. After all if it wasn't, then why hadn't he told his Master? Qui-Gon was still unaware of the corner that his Padawan felt trapped in. And so Obi-Wan went on.

Today Obi-Wan was listening to a lecture on the complexities of weaving the Living Force and the Unifying Force together. Lectures were Obi-Wan's least favorite part of classes. He had always suspected that he was slightly hyperactive and speeches just tended to bring it out. Obi-Wan had gotten much better at managing his hyperactivity since he became an apprentice, but he still had occasional problems. Especially in a boring lecture that he did not care about. The worst part was that he could not even zone out, as his Theory of the Force teacher wanted a 2500 word essay on the lecture.

That was just another thing to add to the list of papers and projects to complete. Obi-Wan already had four papers and five tests this week and eight papers, three tests and a presentation next week. And, of course, these things were on top of the normal readings and research that he had to do. With classes, training, teaching and seminars that he had to attend, the teen had very little time to do any work during the day. As a result, Obi-Wan had resorted to working at night while pretending to be asleep, so his Master would not worry about him. Consequently, Obi-Wan had gotten less than 15 hours of sleep since he resumed classes six days ago. And he was still barely ahead of his work. If he kept spending his nighttime hours doing homework, then he should get it all done. The problem was that Obi-Wan was not sure if he could keep going like this much longer… No. He must stay awake.

Looking at the clock, he was relieved to see that he had less than ten minutes to go before the lecture ended. Thank the Force! He really did not care about the connections between the two sides of the Force. He knew that he should, but he didn't. All he cared about what crawling into bed and sleeping for the next year. Listening to the closing remarks, the Padawan finished scrawling notes on his datapad. Cramming his stuff in his bag, Obi-Wan was out the door a few seconds after the applause started, beating out the 20-year old Padawans who made up the majority of the audience.

Walking through the Temple halls, Obi-Wan moved to his next destination: a mandatory class study session for Astrophysics. This was actually one of Obi-Wan's better subjects. He just seemed to have a knack for finding the path that led to the correct answer. The Padawan knew that his time was better spent working on his papers, but since it was mandatory he did not have a choice. At least if he sat in the back and kept a part of his focus on the class, then maybe he could start studying for the test that he had the day after next.

Obi-Wan got to his class with about 20 seconds to spare. Taking a seat in the back, Obi-Wan watched as the day's problems were handed out. Jinn's Padawan made quick work of the problems, careful to show his work. He knew that the class as a whole would go over the procedure and then he would have to turn in the answers to show that he understood the concepts. The work took about ten minutes to do, but that was out of the mandatory hour that he had to be there. Obi-Wan decided to continue reading _Lamhet_, a 209-page novel that he was going to have a comprehensive quiz on in tomorrow. He was on page 13. Keeping part of his attention on the instructor, the teen started reading, careful to make it look like he was working on the Astrophysics problems.

The rest of the hour passed and it had been somewhat productive for the Padawan. He had been called on a few times, but he was able to answer the questions and was now on page 86. With the end of that session, Obi-Wan was finally done with classes for the day. He also had high hopes for getting a lot of work done tonight and maybe even get an hour or two of sleep before his class at seven the next morning.

Walking home, Obi-Wan mentally made a list of things that he wanted to do tonight. 'It is a long list,' the apprentice thought as he walked through the main door of the apartment that he shared with his Master. Looking around, Obi-Wan did not see his Master, which was odd since the elder should have been making dinner in the kitchen. As he put his bag by the couch, Obi-Wan heard his Master in the bedroom.

"Obi-Wan? Is that you?"

"Yes, Master," the apprentice said as he walked through his Master's open bedroom door. The teen was quite surprised to see his mentor in his best dress clothes.

"Excellent, Padawan. We have been called to represent the Jedi at a Senate function this evening. There is a banquet in honor of the new Constancian senator. Go get dressed in your best clothes. We will be eating there and hurry up. We have to be there in less than an hour."

Nodding his understanding, Obi-Wan went into his room to change. As soon as the door shut behind him, Obi-Wan's face fell as he slid to the floor. How was he going to do this? He had to finish _Lamhet_ and write two papers by tomorrow. And he was already so tired! Knowing that there was nothing to do, Obi-Wan forced himself up before he got any more exhausted or any more obsessive about all the work that he had to do.

Ten minutes later, Obi-Wan was dressed just like his Master, with perfectly pressed clothes and freshly-combed hair. Walking of his room, the Padawan met his Master in the common room, before walking to the hanger to get a landspeeder. On the way there, while Qui-Gon drove, Obi-Wan felt his mind and focus slipping. He hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time and he was beyond tired. Senate functions put him to sleep on a good day, so the idea of going to one now was pure torture. The worst part was that he was going to be up until at least six in the morning doing work and he had a class a seven. Life was getting too complicated.

Obi-Wan spent the entire night in a trance. He ate a dinner, but could not remember what he ate. He listened to the speeches, but he had no idea what was said. Of course, having been a student for 12 years, Obi-Wan was very good at looking like he was paying attention when he really wasn't. Unfortunately, the Padawan had a feeling that Qui-Gon did know of his charge's lack of focus. But Obi-Wan just did not have the energy to pay attention, so he just kept going on, mentally preparing for the lecture that would come later.

The Master-Padawan team finally left to go back to the Temple at about one in the morning. This was well past the teen's normal bedtime, but sleep would not be something that the teen could indulge in tonight. Resuming his seat in the passenger seat at the front of the landspeeder, he watched as his Master paid the clerk at the parking deck. Obi-Wan just leaned his head back and waited for his Master to take him home. It took almost ten minutes, but Qui-Gon eventually hopped into the driver's seat and started the drive home. By this time, Obi-Wan was one step away from sleep with only the thought of homework keeping him awake.

A few minutes into the drive, the questioning that he knew was coming came. "Obi-Wan? Padawan, are you alright? You seemed off at the function."

The Padawan did not know how to answer that. Of course he was not alright! Just the opposite, in fact. But he did not want his Master to know that. Nor could he lie. So he decided that it would be best to not say anything, praying that his Master would let the subject drop. He should have known better.

"Padawan? What is wrong."

Damn. Well, the silent answer obviously did not work, because now the question of ok, was now a statement. Thinking fast, Obi-Wan gave the best, most truthful answer that he could give without telling Qui-Gon everything.

"I just need a good night's sleep, Master."

"Well, it is quite late, so I think that that can be arranged. Are you sure that everything is okay? You have been somewhat tense lately."

"My classes have been a little more intense than the last term, but it is nothing that I cannot handle."

"Are you sure, Padawan? I know that your studies are important, but this is also an important time for you to relax."

"I know, Master." Even as he said that, the Padawan cringed. He sounded beyond exhausted and he knew it. Obviously Qui-Gon did too because the conversation ended. Obi-Wan turned his thoughts back to the work that he was to do. He was focusing so hard, that he did not feel the subtle Force suggestion that his Master was sending him until it was too late. And the apprentice slept.

To Be Continued…

Thanks for reading! Please Review!


	2. A Reprieve?

Thanks to all my reviewers from the last chapter. All of the support has been fabulous!

And in gratitude, here is the next part. Enjoy!

Chapter 2-A Reprieve?

The next time Obi-Wan was aware of his surroundings he felt surrounded by warmth and softness. Opening his eyes with a great amount of reluctance, he realized that he was looking at what distinctly reminded him of his bedroom ceiling. Turning his head, he found out that he was in his room. Looking down he saw that he was in his bed and he was now dressed in his sleep clothes. Remembering the night before, he realized that Qui-Gon must have Force-pushed him to sleep, carried him to his room from the landspeeder and then changed him into his sleep clothes. Obi-Wan suddenly felt very grateful to his Master, but wait…

What time was it?

Looking over to his night-table, Obi-Wan glanced at the chrono and immediately jumped out of bed. It was 10:20! He had missed his first two classes. What was he going to do? His teachers were going to kill him! If they got agitated when he missed an extracurricular, how were they going to react to him missing class?

Throwing on some clothes, the teen raced out of his room to try and catch the last twenty minutes of his second class.

"Padawan." Qui-Gon's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Master! I am sorry, but I can't stay. I overslept and I am very late…" Obi-Wan's jumbled rush of words stopped when Qui-Gon's hand went up.

The Master walked over to his Padawan, wrapped an arm around the tense shoulders and guided his student to the couch. "Relax, Padawan. I let you sleep in and I already called all of your teachers, telling them not to expect you today. You are a growing boy and you need your rest, something that I fear you have not gotten enough of since we got back. Now go back to your room, get changed into your sleep clothes and go back to sleep. If you are going to go back to classes tomorrow, I want you to be well rested."

Obi-Wan was slightly stunned at the idea of not having classes today, but he nodded his consent. The Padawan got up from the couch and started to walk back to his room when his Master stopped him. "Oh, and Padawan. Here. You never took your school bag back to your room last night."

Taking the bag from his Master's outstretched hand, Obi-wan walked to his room, reality setting in. For a moment, the Padawan had actually thought that maybe he could actually get some sleep. What dream world was he living in? He had just been given a reprieve. Now he could actually get some work accomplished. Getting changed back in to his sleep clothes in case Qui-Gon came into check on him, Obi-Wan took out his datapad with _Lamhet_ on it and started to read.

The Padawan had finished the novel and started work on his "Theory of the Force" paper by the time Qui-Gon checked on him two hours later. Feeling his Master approach, he hid all of his schoolwork and dived into bed just as his Master knocked on the door.

"Padawan? Padawan, time to get up. Just for a little while. It is time for the mid-meal."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied in the sleepiest voice he could muster. Letting his exhaustion show in his face and body, Obi-Wan walked out of his bedroom door to the dinning table where his Master was setting out a meal of dewback sandwiches and ponack soup.

Making a detour, the teen walked into the kitchen and got the container of juma juice out of the cooler before slumping in one of the dining chairs. Qui-Gon sat across from him after setting some glasses down. Obi-Wan found that he was relatively hungry and immediately started to dig into the sandwiches.

The teen was about halfway through his lunch when his Master spoke for the first time. "Padawan? Are you sure that you are alright? You still look very tired."

"I am fine, master. Just groggy."

"Are you sure, Padawan? You know that you can tell me anything."

"I know, Master, but really. I am fine."

Qui-Gon did not really seem to believe his student, but, much to Obi-Wan's relief, he let the matter drop. "Very well, Padawan. I am scheduled to have a meeting with the Council at 13:00. I want you to stay here and rest."

"Yes, Master. Are we going on a mission," Obi-Wan asked, careful to not let the desperate hope sink into his voice.

"No, Padawan. The Council has asked me to serve on a temporary committee that will investigate the need for additional pre-trials for senior Padawans. There have been questions about the need for additional standards that the older apprentices need to meet. Anyway, I have decided to accept the position and all of the committee members have to meet with the Council this afternoon to discuss matters. Actually, you should be thrilled at this, Padawan. We will be out of the field for at least three weeks because of this. Probably longer."

"That sounds like a very interesting task, Master."

"Quite. Are you going to be alright while I go to my meeting?"

"Of course, Master. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I am just concerned about you. I am your Master; that is my job. Are you finished?" Obi-Wan nodded. "Take your dishes to the sink and then I want you to get straight back to bed."

"Yes, Master" Obi-Wan replied as he rose from his chair to do as his Master bid. The teen went into be, waiting for his Master to leave the apartment. He had to wait about 15 minutes, but it seemed much shorter. '3 weeks? How am I supposed to keep this up for 3 weeks? Going on missions is my only break from this. How am I going to do this?' His thoughts just circled around these truths, despair running through his veins, until he heard the front door of the apartment open and close, signaling his Master's departure. Sighing, the Padawan got up from bed and continue to work on his paper, knowing that there was no escape possible.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Obi-Wan had a very productive afternoon. He was able to complete the work that was supposed to be due today, read another novel that he had a quiz on tomorrow and started the 10-page research paper that was due in two days. He had just finished tweaking his thesis statement when he heard and felt his Master enter the apartment. The Padawan had been intensely hiding everything from the stress of academics to the lack of sleep behind mental shields of duracrete. He had been very careful of his shields ever since returning home.

Once again hiding the evidence, Obi-Wan hopped into bed and pretended to be asleep. Actually by this point, the apprentice was exhausted and he easily could have fallen asleep right then…

The next thing that he knew, Qui-Gon was shaking him awake. "Padawan. Time for the late meal."

Dragging himself out of bed, Obi-Wan looked at the chrono and noticed that about 45 minutes had gone by since he had climbed into bed. 'Well, at least I got a little sleep, even if it was unintended,' the Padawan thought glumly

Walking out of his room, Obi-Wan once again ate a meal to convince his concerned master that he was fine. Although, he did not feel fine, the apprentice did have hope. He did not have much due tomorrow and while he needed to work some more on his research paper he might actually get a few hours of sleep tonight. He could work on the paper some more after dinner and then again after the evening meditation session that Qui-Gon insisted they do every night.

"Padawan, do you feel ready to return to classes tomorrow?" Qui-Gon asked as they were clearing the dishes up from the evening meal. As tempting as it was to take another day off, the teen knew that the consequences of skipping another day would be dire. After all if he thought that his teachers were going to really pile on the work after one day off, what would thy do after two? It made him shiver just thinking about it.

"I am ready, Master," came the confident reply.

"Very well, Padawan. By the way, what time is your Astrophysics class tomorrow?"

"After the noon meal. Why?"

"Your teacher sent over some problems that cover today's material. He wanted them done by tomorrow. Is that possible or should I get you an extension?"

"I should not have any trouble with a few problems."

"Alright, Padawan. They are loaded on the datapad on the caf table in the common room. You can start on them after meditations. But I still want you to get a full night's sleep."

"Yes, Master."

"Excellent. Now let's mediate." And with that Qui-Gon led the way to the meditation mats, Obi-Wan only a step behind.

"Master? I was wondering if I could, maybe…um…meditate on my own tonight?" As expected, the Master was somewhat surprised by the request. Qui-Gon had been guiding his student through his meditations every night for over six months. The Master had been helping the teen perfect his style and technique, as well as helping him obtain a deeper connection to the Force. Obi-Wan found these sessions to be very helpful, but he just did not want to put the energy into such a lesson tonight and he really hoped that Qui-Gon would let him off the hook.

"May I ask why you want to do this?"

"I just wanted to meditate on a few things privately."

"Padawan, is everything ok?"

"Yes, Master. I just want a night of private meditation."

"Very well, Padawan. But remember that if need or want any help then all you have to do is let me know."

"I know, Master."

Nodding, Qui-Gon sat on his meditation mat, his Padawan nearby. Obi-Wan watched as his Master easily slipped in to the Force and following his elder, the Padawan did the same. Obi-Wan knew that meditation would be tricky right now. The relaxation that came with meditation could easily lead into sleep. Obi-Wan knew that he could not let himself fall asleep, especially if he had Astrophysics problems to do.

So for about one hour, Obi-Wan did an odd kind of meditation; a mixture of elementary meditation and total alertness. It was one of the most awkward meditations he had ever done. But it kept him awake.

When he came out of the mediation session, he found himself looking straight into the eyes of his mentor. "How was your meditation, Padawan?"

"Interesting, Master. Yours?"

"Enlightening. But I think that it is time to get some work done. I have to look over some reports for my committee. Why don't you start on your Astrophysics?"

"Yes, Master." So he grabbed the datapad with the new work downloaded in it, and slumped on the couch, his usual studying spot in the common room. Qui-Gon, as always, sat in the nearby chair. Since the two had become a team, they spent many quiet nights in these positions.

Once comfortable, Obi-Wan opened the Astrophysics file to reveal…67 pages of problems! That was ridiculous! There were about 5 problems on each page for a total of…145 problems! The class was not even 145 minutes long. His teacher must have been given every problem in the text book related to the topic that they were learning. This was going to take forever. Trying not to despair, the Padawan started the problems, careful to show all of his work.

As he progressed, he was relieved to find only one set of problems. The class did not move that fast, so that struggling students had time to learn the formulas. Obi-Wan usually grasped the concepts the first or second time out, and it looked like all the class had done today was go over the formula that was introduced a few days ago. The problem was that while Obi-Wan did not have any issues completing the work, they were very time consuming. There was a ten-step process for solving them and the teacher demanded that each step be written out.

So bracing himself for another long and sleepless night, the Padawan to the great Qui-Gon Jinn started the pain-staking process of solving, in complete detail, how to calculate gravitational pull influences on star cruisers.

Two hours later, Obi-Wan was working on problem #32. Not bad, but he had a long way to go. "Padawan? Are you almost finished? It is time for bed."

"Yes, Master. Just let me finish this problem." After inputting the final two steps and the answer, Obi-Wan got off the couch, stretched his cramped muscles and went into his room. Grabbing his sleep clothes and dumping the datapad on the desk, the teen went into the fresher and took a shower. When he was done and dressed for bed, he went back to his room. But he was surprised to find Qui-Gon waiting for him.

"Master? Is something wrong?"

"Funny, Padawan. I was going to ask you the same question."

"Nothing is wrong, Master. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Padawan. You have seemed very tense today. For the past few days actually. If something is going on, I NEED you to tell me. I want to help you through whatever it is you are going through. That is my duty and my pleasure. But I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

"Master. Everything is fine. I do not need any help. I appreciate the offer, but everything is good."

"I wish I could believe that, Obi-Wan"

The teen did not have a response to that. Part of him was dying inside. He knew that everything was not fine, but something held him back. Regardless of how much his Master was going to trying to help him, the Padawan knew that he would not allow help to be given to him.

After a moment, Qui-Gon seemed to get that message as well. Sighing, the elder motioned for his charge to join him near the sleep couch. Obi-Wan did as his Master requested and sat on the bed. He did not protest when Qui-Gon pushed him down to lie flat and tucked the blankets around his body.

"Padawan. I don't know if I want to send you back to classes tomorrow. You still look awfully tired."

"Master, I know that you are concerned about me, but I am fine and I want to go back to classes."

"What time is your earliest class?

"09:00."

"And your latest?"

"It ends at 16:00."

"With a break for mid-meal?"

"Yes, Master."

"Very well," Qui-Gon said after a moment of hesitation. "You can go to your classes after a good night's sleep. Do you need any help going to sleep?"

"No, thank you, Master."

"Alright then, Padawan." After gently kissing his apprentice's forehead and tucking the blankets around the tense shoulders, Qui-Gon left the room turning off the lights as he went.

Obi-Wan waited for a few minutes to make sure that Qui-Gon was not coming back in. After he was satisfied that the coast was clear, Obi-Wan turned on his bedside lamp, levitated the datapad to his hand and continued to work on Astrophysics, something that he knew that he would spend the rest of the night working on.

To Be Continued…

And so concludes Part 2. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!


	3. Just Another Day of Torture

Here is the latest installment in _Pushing Limits_. Once again thanks to all of my reviewers and supporters. You are all wonderful! Enjoy!!

Chapter 3-Just Another Day of Torture

Obi-Wan worked long into the night. He was only interrupted when Qui-Gon came to check on him about two hours after tucking him in. Thankfully for the Padawan, he had prepared for such a thing and had plenty of time to hide everything, turn off the light and pretend to be asleep. Qui-Gon did not seem to notice that anything was out of place and the Padawan was soon able to return to work.

Obi-Wan did not actually go to sleep that night. It took him until 06:00 to finish all of his Astrophysics problems, but when he finished he was actually wide awake. He had been going back and forth between complete exhaustion and total alertness all night.

So not feeling sleepy, Obi-Wan decided to continue the research paper that was due the next day. It was a very detailed paper dealing with the history of the ancient land of Halestena on planet of Swanengla. The problem was that for about 20 different reasons, there was almost no documentation on the history of Halestena, which made research all the more annoying. And he had to be careful about how much he drew out his information, because his Political Science teacher hated wordy papers and graded accordingly. Obi-Wan had found some good information, but he was not sure that it was enough for the length that he needed.

By the time 08:00 rolled around he had found two sources that he thought might give him enough information to equal a ten page paper. However, he was forced to stop his search as Qui-Gon knocked on his door, calling for him to wake up. Obi-Wan grabbed a fresh set of clothes and went into the fresher to get ready for the day, nodding a good morning to his Master as he walked by the common room.

Fifteen minutes later, the teen, fresh in clean clothes, stepped into the dining area for first meal. Together, the two finished making a hot meal that would see them through the day. A few minutes after Obi-wan started eating his meal, Qui-Gon broke the silence.

"Padawan, I received a call from your Negotiation teacher. He had come down ill and had to cancel class for today."

"Oh, okay. Thank you for the message, Master."

"You're welcome, Padawan, but I was wondering if you would be up for a spar during that hour. We should practice if you are going to Lightsaber Seminar tomorrow."

Oh, yeah. Obi-Wan had almost forgotten about the class that he had tomorrow. Both Qui-Gon and his apprentice had held off sparring since they returned to the Temple, due to the amount of physical exertion on the last mission. But tomorrow was the teen's weekly lightsaber class. It met for five hours in which the Padawans were given a particular skill to meet their current level. The idea was that these new skills would just be above their current level. They would spend those hours learning the new skills and then spend the next week perfecting it with their masters. It was a way of making sure that the Padawans were progressing at the right pace and that they did not push themselves too hard. The thing was that because he had not been to class in four months his skill level would need to be reevaluated. And it was clear that Qui-Gon wanted him to be ready for it.

"That will be fine, master. What time should I meet you?"

"What time does you last morning class end?'

"At the noon hour"

"Very well. Meet me thirty minutes after that in Training Room MP45. That way you will get a chance to eat. We can work until 14:00 so that you can grab a quick shower before your class at 14:30. Alright?"

"That should be fine, Master."

"Excellent. Now finish your meal and go to class."

Obi-Wan did just that and, with all of his datapads and supplies in his trusty bag, he headed off to Astrophysics. The Padawan was somewhat pleased with the turn of events. He often found Negotiation class boring, mainly because that was a strength of his and the class did not move fast enough to challenge him. He would much rather spend that hour in lightsaber practice than listening to a lecture. Although at the same time, sleep would top a spar… Oh well, it was not like he was supposed to have that hour free anyway.

Feeling better about his day, Obi-Wan went into the Astrophysics class. That class went well for him. The students learned a new formula so he had something to do in the class. He was also pleased that it was fairly simple and was less time-consuming than the last formula they had worked on. To no surprise, Jinn's Padawan had mastered the concept before the end of class. When the chime sounded that signaled the end of class, Obi-Wan turned in the datapad that was filled with the make-up problems he had been given. His teacher seemed to be pleased with the work that Obi-Wan accomplished.

This should have pleased Kenobi but somehow it didn't. While it would have been worse NOT doing the work, the teen knew that he had lived up to the standard that teachers had set up for him as Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan. Now they would expect this all the time. Not that it really mattered. Obi-Wan would always expect himself to do everything that was requested of him from his Master and teachers. He supposed that it was good thing that he could be such a symbol of high academic excellence, but he could not just stop if it got to be too much.

Next the teen went to his Theory of the Force class. That was a torturous class, but in a way Obi-Wan was usually thankful for the chance to put a good deal of effort into a class. He found that many of his classes this term required a great deal of time, but not a lot of effort, like Astrophysics. Theory was different. To pass, one really had to study and pay attention in class or to the class notes, if one was away on a mission. Normally, Obi-Wan loved a challenge, but he was SO tired that taking extensive notes sounded more like torture.

Walking into class he sat in his normal seat, ending up alone. Generally Obi-Wan would sit with his friends, but they were all away on various missions, so Kenobi was left alone in classes. That sort of made it worse, but this was the life of a Jedi and there was no way around that.

Obi-Wan spent the next hour and a half paraphrasing every word that Master Naygela said and documented it all on a datapad. At noon he was finally free of the torture of taking notes.

Walking to the mess hall, Obi-Wan noted that he only had 20 minutes to eat. So grabbing what he thought was ponack, the teen sat down and ate, while studying the notes for his research paper. He was so engrossed in that, that he almost forgot to meet his Master for sparring. Thankfully, he remembered just in time, he deposited of his tray and dishes and set off to meet his Master in the training room.

As expected, Qui-Gon was there waiting for him. His Master greeted him with a smile and the two silently started to move through some warm-up exercises. After about 15 minutes of warming up, the two began to spar. Normally, Obi-Wan loved to spar. Qui-Gon often held back and pushed certain attacks and defenses that allowed his Padawan to work on his weaknesses. Every once in awhile, Qui-Gon would call for a no-holds spar, but that was rare. And the student had to admit that he found his Master's way of sparing to be helpful. The Master just had an uncanny sense of knowing exactly what his student needed to work on and how to help him turn his weaknesses into strengths. This usually meant that Obi-Wan was a better swordsman at the end of the session than at the beginning.

However, it did not seem like that would be the case today. The teen could just not fall into any sort of rhythm and he had a hard time focusing on the fight. He took twice as many hits as he normally did and the teen knew that if Qui-Gon was not holding back than it would have been much worse. Qui-Gon called the meet to an end early and he did not look pleased.

"Obi-Wan. You are not focused. What's wrong?"

"It has been a long time since we did this," the teen stated, knowing it was only the half-truth.

"Padawan…"

Obi-Wan held his breath, knowing that he was once again going to have to dance around the fact that he was not sleeping and had never been more stressed in his short life.

"Padawan. Go shower and head off to class. I will see you at home."

That statement shocked the teen. He had planned a few different things that Qui-Gon might say but that was definitely not one of them. Nevertheless, Obi-Wan did as his Master bid.

As a result of the short sparring session, Obi-Wan was early to his next class: Cultural Studies. This was an okay class, but the teacher really did not like him. The teacher's grades for his essays were much lower than they should have been, but because writing is subjective, so he could not fight the grades. And every time he tried to fix the problems to get a higher grade, the teacher would just find more reasons to deduct points.

Today in class, the students would be continuing the discussion of _Lamhet_, which they started talking about yesterday. Because he was there early, Obi-Wan started to review the main points of the novel, knowing that he would be put in a separate room to take the quiz that he had missed yesterday. As expected, just after he finished reviewing the main characters, his teacher walked in and motioned for him to get up. The teacher led him into a side room, gave him the quiz and left.

Obi-Wan spent twenty minutes working on the quiz. As he went on, the test seemed to get harder. He knew all of the answers, but he was starting to get a headache, probably a result of fatigue and the lightsaber spar. But despite the headache, Obi-Wan finished the quiz under the time limit. Walking back to the main classroom, the teen made a mental note to get some sleep today. Even if it was only for his headache. Some meds would also help, though, Obi-Wan though ruefully. Placing his quiz on the table at the front of the room, the teen took his seat, trying to listen to what his teacher was saying.

The rest of the class was a blur for Obi-Wan. He wrote down what was said, contributed to some discussion once or twice, but nothing really registered. Finally his class ended and he was able to go back to his quarters. Obi-Wan, still fighting the throbbing on the right side of his head, decided to hold off working on his paper until after late-meal, in favor of taking a nap. He only had an hour and a half until the meal anyway. When the Padawan arrived back at his shared quarters, he noticed a datapad lying on the dining table. Picking it up, he saw that it was a message from Qui-Gon telling his Padawan that he had a committee meeting but that he would be back for the late-meal. Putting the datapad back on the table, the Padawan found some medicine for his headache and crashed into his bed, knowing that his Master would awaken him when he returned.

The next thing that Obi-Wan remembered was his Master shaking him awake. "Padawan? Padawan. Wake up. It is time for the evening meal."

Forcing himself into a sitting position, the teen nodded his understanding. When Qui-Gon left the room to, presumably, get the rest of the meal prepared, Obi-Wan took a mental stock of his body. The hour-long nap did not do much to stifle the mounting exhaustion, but his headache had much improved. Satisfied that he was well enough to pull another all-nighter, the teen went out to eat with his Master.

After the Jedi team had set everything up for the meal, the two started to dig in. Obi-Wan found that he was actually really hungry, which was good since he could use the energy to get through the research paper that he needed to work on tonight. His gorging, however, was soon interrupted by Qui-Gon's concerned voice.

"Padawan? How are you feeling?"

That was a new one. "Umm…okay, I guess. A little tired."

"Obi-Wan. What is going on? You just had an entire day of rest and yet you are admittedly still tired. I know that you are still growing, but this fatigue is not normal. Are you sure that you are not coming down sick?'

"No, Master! I feel fine. Maybe I am just going through a growth spurt," Obi-Wan said, suggesting the first thing that came to his mind. Qui-Gon looked unmoved by his Padawan's suggestion, but he seemed to let the idea go. For now.

The teen finished his meal and helped to clean up the dishes. That chore done, Obi-Wan started to go to his room, hoping to get some homework done before evening meditations. His plans were stopped by his Master, asking him to join his mentor in the common room. Qui-Gon had a very concerned look on his face, something that Obi-Wan had seen a lot of in the past few days.

"Padawan. Tonight I want us to start working on relaxation and breathing exercises that will eventually be a constant part of our evening work here at the Temple. These exercises are very good things to work on here at home and on missions, particularly when you are in a situation beyond your control. If this okay with you…"

Obi-Wan was a little surprised by this new set of lessons. He knew that his Master was worried about him, but somehow he just did not expect Qui-Gon to really do anything about it. Of course, now confronted with this action, this desperate attempt to help him, Obi-Wan realized that that was a stupid idea. Qui-Gon was always trying to help his Padawan. Why would he not do so now, when he believed that his charge truly needed him? And, apparently, if that meant starting exercises that he was not schedule to learn for three more years, then so be it. Knowing he had no choice, the reply "Yes, Master" came out of his mouth without a second thought.

His Master, satisfied with the answer, led him to their meditation mats. Obi-Wan assumed his meditation position, fully expecting his Master to sit on his mat. But that is not what happened.

"Padawan, while you can do these exercises in that position, it is much harder. Since this is your first time learning this, I want you to lie down. It will be easier." Obi-Wan got settled into his new position before his Master continued. "Now, before we start, I just want to go over a few things. First of all, these exercises are not particularly difficult, but they can be tedious to do on your own and they require a great deal of patience, especially if you are stressed. The level of patience is the reasons that these are not often taught until later in an apprenticeship, although I think that you could benefit from them now. But you must remember that you might have some problems with these exercises on your own, because you are not at the necessary skill level yet. I am going to walk you through these until you get comfortable, but you need to remember when you start to do them independently, to ask for help if you need it. The goal of these exercises is to reduce stress and help you relax. That will not happen if you get frustrated. Now do you have any questions before we begin?"

Obi-Wan hesitated for a moment, thinking about everything that his Master said and wondering what would be coming next. "No, Master. I am ready to begin."

"Excellent. Now the first thing that I want to do with you is a basic relaxation exercise that does not involve much Force use and can even be done without the Force. This also does not involve too much patience. But it is effective, nevertheless. Now close your eyes and center yourself in the Force."

Obi-Wan felt his Master wait until he was ready. It took a little bit more time than it normally would have, but he was able to center himself with little problem. That done, he heard his Master's voice start to guide him through the exercise. The Padawan simply obeyed his teacher with little thought.

As the exercise progressed, Obi-Wan started to realize how easy it was, but where problem spots could develop if you were really stressed. The exercise involved tensing up each muscle group one by one and then relaxing those muscles. Qui-Gon walked his student through this in a very slow and progressive manner and soon, Obi-Wan had to admit that he was much more relaxed than when they had started.

Soon, the Padawan started to get very sleepy, which was not good, considering all of the work that he had to do on his research paper that was due in the morning. But right when he was about to fall asleep, Qui-Gon ended the exercise. Thankful that he did not actually fall asleep before he could do his work, Obi-wan opened his eyes and got up. Getting into an upright position, the teen realized how different he felt. His muscles were so relaxed, more so than they had ever been before. It was a weird feeling; a great feeling, but a weird one nevertheless.

Looking over at his Master he saw that Qui-Gon looked quite proud. "You did very well, Padawan. Do you feel better?" Obi-Wan just nodded. "Excellent. Do you feel up to meditating or do you want to go to bed?"

The Padawan had to think about that for a little bit. Looking at the chrono, he found that it was creeping up on 20:00. He really did need to work on his paper, but he did not want to disappoint his Master, even though he knew that he would have to hide his fatigue again.

Thankfully, Qui-Gon solved the problem for him. "It is alright, Padawan. I think that we can skip meditation for one night. I know these exercises can put you sleep when you are first leaning them, so don't feel like you are disappointing me. Why don't you go get ready for bed and I will come to check on you before you fall asleep." Obi-Wan, thankful that he did not have to meditate, did as his master requested and got ready to 'go to sleep.'

As he was turning down the blankets on his sleep couch, his Master walked in. "Ready for bed, Padawan?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good. Climb in." At that, Obi-Wan made sure that his shields were as tight as possible. He knew that Qui-Gon was going to tuck him in, something that the teen normally loved. There was a great sense of security that came from his Master standing guard over him, eyes full of love and care. However, Qui-Gon only did this when he was sick or hurt. The fact that he was doing this now indicated that the elder felt something was very wrong in him.

As Qui-Gon tucked the blankets around him, Obi-Wan felt his control slip. He was just SO tired. Tired physically, mentally and emotionally. He was tired of working into the wee hours of the morning. Tired of being the Perfect Padawan. And most of all, he was tired of hiding from Qui-Gon. Looking into his Master's eyes, he wanted nothing more than to breakdown. Just fall into his Master's arms and tell him everything: all of the work, the lack of sleep, the pressure, the stress. He wanted to just let his Master help him, feeling unable to go on alone anymore.

But even as these thoughts ran through his mind, Obi-Wan knew that he would never actually say any of these ideas. He couldn't. The role of the Perfect Padawan was not one that he chose, but it was the role that he had to assume. He was a Jedi. He would not run to his Master every time he felt like having a meltdown. And even if his agemates could lean so heavily on their Masters, it simply was not an option for the Padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn. He had to be strong; at least on the outside if it was not possible on the inside.

"Padawan," Qui-Gon said as his voice cut through Obi-Wan's thoughts. "I know that I have asked you this a lot over the past few days, but I need to be sure. Is everything okay with you? You have not been yourself since you returned to Coruscant. I want you to tell me if something is wrong. And you can tell me anything. I promise that I will do everything in my power to help you."

"I know that, Master," Obi-Wan confidently replied, despite his slipping control. "There is nothing going on that I can't handle. But now I am tired and I would like to go to sleep, if you don't mind."

And with that the teen turned so that his back faced his Master, needing to look away so that he did not lose all control. He heard Qui-Gon walk away from him, towards the door. But when he reached the door, he seemed to stop and the teen heard him say something that broke his heart.

"Oh, Obi-Wan. How much more do I have to do to prove to you that you are the light of my life and that when you are in pain, I am as well? I just hope that you learn to trust me before you truly get hurt."

The next thing that the teen heard was the hiss as the door shut behind his Master. Sitting up, Obi-Wan wiped away the tears that had fallen on his cheeks. However, knowing that he would not go to his Master, despite the man's plea, the teen got up, went to his desk and started to work on his paper.

To Be Continued…

While I normally don't do this, I thought that I would give a little teaser and release the title of the next chapter:

It is official that the fourth chapter of _Pushing Limits_ will be "Breakdown."

(Just thought I would through a small cliffhanger in there.)

Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!


	4. Breakdown

Here is the "Breakdown" chapter that I promised. I hope that you find that it was worth the wait! Thanks to all of the support that I have seen and I hope that you all enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 4-Breakdown

Ten hours after Qui-Gon had put his student to bed, Obi-Wan shut down his datapad and rubbed his eyes. His paper was finally done, after hours of solid work. The teen knew that under better circumstances it would have only taken him eight hours, but the mounting exhaustion made him make stupid grammatical mistakes that took a good deal of time to correct. But all that mattered now was that it was done.

Pulling out his schedule, Obi-Wan was thrilled to cross off the research paper on his "Assignments To Do" list. Looking over the rest of his list, Obi-Wan's excitement died and he was once again filled with dread. In his rush to finish his paper, he forgot about the rest of the work that he had to do for today. He had a few Astrophysics problems and he had to complete some readings for his Theory class. Resigning himself to another sleepless night, Obi-Wan started on his Astrophysics problems, knowing that he could read for Theory during Astrophysics.

By the time Qui-Gon came to get his Padawan out of bed, Obi-Wan had finished his problems ad was well on his Theory readings. Satisfied with the work that he had accomplished, the Padawan started to get ready for his day, all the while trying to convince Qui-Gon that he was fine. Even though he was falling apart.

The morning was a blur for the apprentice, as he went through all of the things required of a Perfect Padawan. He ate the meal that his Master set out for him, he went to his Political Science class and turned in his research paper, he went to Astrophysics and took brief notes while reading for his next class, he went to his Theory of the Force class and wrote down everything that was said while participating in some discussion.

But as Obi-wan went through his day with a curious detachment. It was like his body was doing everything on autopilot and his mind deserted him. As he walked to the mess for the mid-meal, the student realized that he could not remember anything that he had been taught in any of his classes. Deciding that he did not have the strength to care, Obi-Wan make the decision that he was not hungry and headed off to Lightsaber Seminar.

Saber Sem, as it was often called, was normally the teenager's favorite class, but today it really worried him. How was he supposed to fight properly if he could not even pay attention during a lecture?

Pushing the negative thoughts out of head, Obi-Wan resigned himself to what had to be done and started doing his warm-up stretches. The last thing that he needed was a pulled muscle on top of everything else.

As he was warming up, the teen realized that his focus was starting to slip again. Using all of the strength that he had left, Obi-Wan tried to prevent all control from slipping away. He could not afford to be distracted when lightsabers were involved. He just hoped that the seminar would be less physical. Or at least let out early.

Unfortunately for the Padawan, after only ten minutes, he realized that neither of his hopes were going to come to reality. Today, the class would be working on battle moves. For the first assignment, each student would be put in the center of the room, surrounded by 50 battle droids. It was a very useful situation to know how to get out of, but it was five times more active that Obi-Wan felt up to. The scenario took a lot of turning, which would only add to the mounting pressure in his head.

The class was first given some instruction and the guidelines of the exercise. The students then each took a turn, the order determines alphabetically by last name. Thankful that his last name started with a "K," Obi-Wan zoned out for a few minutes in the hopes of getting himself to focus again.

Unfortunately, by the time his turn came around he really did not feel much better. Not having a choice, however, the teen stepped into the center of the room. Pushing everything that he was feeling down into the bottom of his gut, the Padawan just tried to focus on what he needed to do.

Raising his saber, the droids came out and effectively surrounded him. Feeling the Force move through him, Obi-Wan let it wash over him and just let it guide him. Because he had the Force on his side, the teen was ready when the droids fired their first shots. Not thinking only acting, Obi-Wan started fighting against his opponents. Soon he had gotten himself to a place where he could just fight. He was turning, twisting, jumping and leaping all without thinking. Within what seemed like a very short span of time, Obi-Wan stood over 50 hopelessly destroyed droids that littered the training floor.

But Obi-Wan did not feel right. He knew that he was standing still, but he felt like he was still moving. His eyes were not focusing and it looked like the room was spinning. Suddenly he really did not feel good. A weird ringing was developing in his ears, the room was still spinning and he was quickly losing his equilibrium in such a way that he was not sure if he was standing up anymore. He vaguely heard faint talking over the ringing in his ears, but he could not make out the words. Suddenly, he felt his body hit the ground. He heard more voices and more movement before the world went black.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Obi-Wan reopened his eyes, he was somewhat surprised to find himself staring at something painfully white. It almost looked like a wall or a ceiling…

"You're awake." Obi-Wan looked over and saw his Master sitting next to him, worry written all over his face. Looking past Qui-Gon to stare at his surroundings, he saw that his fears were confirmed: he was in MedCenter. Thinking back, the teen tried to remember why he was here. But no matter how hard he tried Ob-Wan could not recollect what had happened. His thoughts were interrupted as his Master sat down next to him on the sleep couch.

"Padawan. Do you remember what happened?" Obi-Wan checked his shields to make sure that they were up, somewhat uneasy that Qui-Gon asked him the main focus of his own thoughts. However, his shields were intact and still not knowing what had landed him in the MedCenter, the teen had no choice but to shake his head at his Master's question.

But Qui-Gon did not seem surprised by this admission. "I thought that you might not. I received a call from your lightsaber teacher who informed me that you collapsed after completing one of the day's exercise. Your shields were quite impressive, Padawan, since I did not even know what happened. Obi-Wan, do you know why the healers said you collapsed?"

In reality, Obi-Wan had a feeling that all of the sleepless nights had caught up with him, but he was not going to admit that, so he just shook his head at his Master's questions. Qui-Gon just sighed and looked down at his hands, a concerned look on his face.

"Obi-Wan. The Healers determined that you collapsed from exhaustion. You have not been taking care of yourself and as a result your body gave out. You have been asleep for over 40 hours. Now Padawan…is there anything that you want to tell me?"

Obi-wan hesitated. There was a part of him that still could not believe that this had happened to him. Sure, he hadn't slept for a few nights, but shouldn't he be above letting that affect him? Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan was not supposed to collapse from exhaustion. How could he have let this happen?

Still berating himself, Obi-Wan remembered his Master's question and shook his head, looking down at the blankets that covered the lower half of his body. He tried to think of ways to escape this line of questioning, but as his Master shifted closer the Padawan had a feeling that he would not be allowed to escape this time.

"Padawan, something must be going on or this would not have happened." Still Obi-Wan stayed silent, not ready to talk. "Obi-Wan, please. I have watched you since our return. Watched you as the dark circles under your eyes got bigger and your shoulders grew tenser. I have spent my days trying to think of ways to help you and my nights praying to the Force that you would come to me and share your problems. But then I got the comm that you had collapsed and I knew that my hope that you would not get hurt had not come to pass. And now…now after everything you are still going to refuse my help? Still going to go it alone?"

With everything he had left, Obi-Wan tried to pull himself together. No matter what Qui-Gon said, this was his problem. Why couldn't Qui-Gon understand that? Why couldn't he just leave him alone?

"Padawan? Obi-Wan. Please answer me."

Once again, Obi-Wan tried to gather his fast-fading control, fighting his continuing exhaustion. Maybe if he could come up with something, Qui-Gon would leave him alone.

"Master…there is nothing that you can help me with."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that" came the Master's quick response.

Uggh, this was so aggravating! Why couldn't Qui-Gon just go away? He was getting too tired for this. "Master, please. Just…trust me. Everything is fine. I can handle it."

"Obi-Wan, how can you say that?!? You are lying in the MedCenter because you collapsed from exhaustion! I have let this go on long enough. This is something that you obviously cannot handle on you own. And I have no intention of leaving until you tell me what is going on and let me help you."

"But I shouldn't need your help!" Obi-Wan had had enough. He was so frustrated with Qui-Gon and he just wanted everything to stop. He was so focused on that, that he did not notice his slip.

"What so you mean that you 'should' not need my help?"

The quiet question froze Obi-Wan's thought process. Oh, Force. He hadn't meant to say that. It was true, but still…The Padawan had no idea how to respond, so silence came over the room instead.

"Padawan. You are only 14. You have every right to ask for help. Any kind of help. At your age it is necessary because you are still learning. Why do you think that you should not ask for help?" Again he was met with silence. "Obi-Wan? Is that why you collapsed? Because you thought that you should not need help?"

Obi-Wan decided that he needed to start responding a little, knowing his Master would not leave otherwise. So he nodded a little, hoping Qui-Gon would leave it at that.

He didn't. "Padawan. You are my apprentice. It is my job to help you and as a student it is your right to get all of the help that you require. What do you think must be handled on your own?"

Finally tired of hiding, Obi-Wan decided to just tell Qui-Gon what he felt.

To Be Continued…

I know that this chapter was a little shorter than last time, but I promise to make up for it in the next chapter. I just found this the perfect place to end the chapter.

Thanks for reading and please remember to review!


	5. Salvation

To all of my faithful readers, I apologize that I did not get this up sooner. College started up for me a few weeks ago and I got slammed with real life. I also apologize to my reviewers that I was not able to reply to your fabulous reviews. I do greatly appreciate all of the support and I am going to try to be better about it as the semester progresses.

Next, this is the last official chapter. An epilogue will follow in the weeks to come.

And, now on with the story…

Chapter 5-Salvation

"Master. Ummm…" Obi-wan froze, not knowing how to say all of this. Thankfully, Qui-Gon picked up on this and helped him out.

"It's alright, Obi-Wan. Why don't you start by telling me why you collapsed. I suspect that you do know that reason behind that."

"Yes, Master. Well, I had not slept in a few days. And I guess that had not really been eating right and I imagine that the stress had something to do with it," Obi-Wan said with some slight hesitation.

"That is a decent-sized list, Obi-Wan. What caused these actions?"

"I just had a lot of work to do, Master."

"Do you mean your school work, Padawan?" Obi-wan just nodded. "What else, Obi-Wan? Surely that can't be it or there would be a lot more students in here."

"Yes, Master. But they do not have as much work as I do."

"Padawan? What are you talking about? You don't have any more work than any other second-year apprentice."

"That's not actually true, Master. My teachers always give me extra work. But I don't mind. Really. It is just that…sometimes…it's a lot.."

"Padawan, why do you get extra work?" Qui-Gon's voice was very soft and it sounded like he really just wanted to make everything stop for his student. Although that, Obi-Wan suspected, was why he wanted this information.

"Umm…I know that my teachers see me above the others in my age group."

"Do you know why?"

"It's because of you," Obi-Wan said as quietly as possible.

"Me? Padawan, I did NOT tell your teachers to give you extra work!"

"I know that, Master."

" Then…why?"

"Because my teachers know you. They know how wise and powerful you are. And…um…"

"They are holding what you do against what I have done," Qui-Gon finished, with his eyes shut and his face full of regret.

Obi-Wan was stunned. How did his Master know that? Qui-Gon must have seen the look of shock on his Padawan's face, for he gave a gentle smile.

"Padawan, do you really think that you are the first apprentice who has been judged by who their Master is? Remember I was also apprenticed to an established and well-known Master. I know how hard that is."

Obi-Wan was shocked, even though the rational part of him said that he shouldn't be. Qui-Gon had been trained by Master Dooku, a well-known Master with a rebellious nature, rivaled only by Qui-Gon himself. The logical part of him comprehended what Qui-Gon would have to go through, but he just could not get his head around the fact that someone else understood.

"My question is that if you were feeling overwhelmed, why didn't you tell me? You must have known that your actions were unhealthy."

"I guess so, Master, but I really thought that I could handle it. I SHOULD have been able to handle it."

"Padawan. It seems that your teachers are not the only ones holding you up to a near-impossible standard. You should not have to handle any more than any other 14-year old Jedi. Regardless of who your Master is."

That statement made Obi-Wan pause. He had never really thought about it like that. He had never seen himself as just another second-year Padawan. After all, he was the Padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn. He was different, wasn't he?

He must have looked quite confused, because Qui-Gon continued to press the issue. "Obi-Wan? Do you understand what I am telling you? What your teachers did to you was wrong. You should not have been treated any differently than any other student. And I intend to make sure that any unfair treatment ends. From now on, you will NOT be given any work that is not required of your peers."

And with that one statement, Obi-Wan felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders. Qui-Gon was going to take care of things. He was no longer going to have to worry about extra assignments, sleepless nights or the stress that came with it all.

Releasing the burden left, Obi-Wan completely emotionally drained. For some unknown reason, he suddenly felt like crying. He tried to control himself, but when he felt Qui-Gon arms surround him, the teen just stopped trying and let the tears fall on his Master's loving shoulder. He did not cry for long, but it helped the Padawan reestablish his emotional center.

Pulling back, Obi-Wan rubbed the remaining tears off his face and looked up into his Master's clear blue eyes.

"Do you feel better, Padawan?"

Thinking about it, Obi-Wan found that he really did feel better, for the first time in a long time. His nod brought a small, yet relieved, smile to his Master's face.

"Good. Now I think that we have talked enough for the time being, don't you?" Obi-Wan had to agree. His Master had really forced a lot out of him, and even though he knew everything was going to be okay, he did not want to talk about it any more.

"Why don't you go back to sleep, Obi-Wan? You are going to need a lot more rest before your body is back up to normal strength."

Feeling somewhat drained, the apprentice decided that it would be best to do as his Master bid. Getting situated to go back to sleep, he decided that he really did not want to sleep on yet another uncomfortable med couch.

"Master? When can I go home?"

"I was wondering when you were going to ask that. The Healers want to monitor you for a little longer. In addition to exhausting yourself, you were somewhat dehydrated and the medics want to bring your electrolyte balances back to normal before they let you come home."

"But Master. I was eating!"

"Yes, Obi-Wan, you were eating, but not properly. That teamed with the exhaustion caused the dehydration. Now enough talk; you need your rest."

"Yes, Master." Resettling down on the sleep couch, Obi-Wan got ready to fall asleep. He was comforted when Qui-Gon pulled the blankets up to his shoulders. It had been a good deal of time since he was tucked in to bed before he actually fell asleep. The last few times that Qui-Gon did this, Obi-Wan was just faking the intent to sleep so that he would leave. It was nice to know that he would be able to just lie here and sleep, while being kept warm by blankets that were so lovingly placed over him.

Very quickly, Obi-Wan started to get drowsy. Checking the bond, the Padawan found that his Master was sending him gentle sleep suggestions. The teen should have been offended by this, but he was feeling comfortable and his Master's hand was smoothing out in hair in such a gentle manner…

Obi-Wan started to drift off then, but the last thing that the teen heard was the gentle voice of his Master, telling him how much he loved him and how he was going to help him. Relief and comfort filled Obi-Wan as he gently slipped in to a deep, dreamless sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next time Obi-Wan opened his eyes, he was disappointed to find that once again his was staring at painfully white walls, signaling he was still a resident in the MedCenter. But this negative feeling was quelled as soon as he rolled over and saw his Master in a chair next to his couch.

Qui-Gon looked up from the datapad that he was reading when he heard his apprentice shift. "Good morning, Padawan. How are you feeling?"

Thinking about that for a moment, the teen was pleased at the answer he was able to give. "Much better, Master."

"Excellent, Padawan. The Healers said that you could leave as soon as you woke up. That is if you are up to it…"

Thrilled at the prospect of leaving his least favorite place in the galaxy, Obi-Wan just nodded and threw the blankets off his body as his sat up, ready to leave immediately.

"I thought that might be your answer," Qui-Gon chuckled. "Here. Take some clothes into the fresher and get changed, while I talk to the Healers." Qui-Gon pulled a set of his apprentice's clothes out of what looked like Obi-Wan's survival pack. But before the teen could get a good look at it, Qui-Gon wrapped an arm around his thin shoulders and ushered him into the fresher.

Left with an armful of clothes, the Padawan was left alone. He quickly set on the task before him so that he could go and look to see if that really was his pack.

Sure enough, his survival pack was on the floor next to the foot of the sleep couch. The question was: why? He was even more confused when he saw his Master's bag next to his own. While Qui-Gon did not often bring his student's survival pack when he was in MedCenter, it made sense. But there was no reason for two packs. Still pondering, Obi-Wan slumped on the sleep couch.

It was not long before Qui-Gon returned with a smile on his face. "Ready, Padawan?"

"Yes, Master. But why do you have our survival packs here?"

Qui-Gon just gave a gentle, knowing smile. "That, my young Padawan, is for me to know. And you to find out. Now the Healers have cleared you to leave. Are you ready?"

"Absolutely, Master." Still curious about the packs, Obi-Wan hopped off of the sleep couch, while his Master grabbed their packs. Once the packs were slung over Qui-Gon's shoulder, he held his arm out to motion to his Padawan. But suddenly wanting comfort after the hell that he had been through, instead of just following his Master Obi-Wan slid under his Master's arm and snuggled up next to him. Qui-Gon took the hint and dropped his arm around the teen's shoulder and together the two walked from the MedCenter.

However, as content as Obi-Wan was, he was still wondering about the survival packs. He got even more confused when Qui-Gon started to walk AWAY from their apartment. Obi-Wan looked up at his Master, the question clear on his face. Qui-Gon met his gaze with a smile. But instead of answering he ruffled the ginger hair of his charge, much to Obi-Wan's embarrassment.

"Trust me, my Padawan," the elder said, placing his arm back around his charge.

Staring to feel a little tired, Obi-Wan decided not to press the issue. But he could not understand how he could still be so tired. He had been sleeping for a long time, even though he was not sure exactly how long.

His thoughts were interrupted when the turbolift doors opened exposing the landing pad and an attendant that came up to them when he saw them.

"Master Jinn. Your ship is fueled and ready to go. Here is your access card."

"Thank you, Myriadent," Qui-Gon said, taking the card out of his hand.

"Anytime, Master Jinn. Have a good flight." And with one last word of thanks, Qui-Gon led his student to the starship that awaited them.

Now Obi-Wan was really confused. Surely Qui-Gon would not allow the Council to send them on a mission so quickly after his release from the MedCenter. But they had a ship and their survival packs, so what else could they be doing?

'Oh well,' Obi-Wan though. 'At least our last mission was less stressful than life here at the Temple.'

Hoping that he would have time to get some more sleep before this mission, Obi-Wan boarded the side, his Master by his side. Without another thought, the Padawan headed to the cockpit to fulfill his regular piloting duties. But before he got very far, his Master stopped him.

"Where are you going, Padawan?"

"To the cockpit, Master."

"Ah. However, due to the fact that there is no sleep couch in the cockpit, I do not believe that would be the best place for you. Now come. The Healers say that you still need a good deal of rest."

Wondering what kind of mission would allow him to get enough rest to appease the Healers, Obi-Wan let his Master lead him into one of the ship's cabins. The Padawan felt another wave of fatigue as he started at the large bed in the center of the room. Obi-Wan could not help but feel anger at himself over this. He should not be so tired. He was a Jedi. He should be better than this.

/You need to stop that line of thinking, my Padawan./

Obi-Wan jumped as he heard his Master's voice over the bond for the first time since this whole thing started. /Master?/ Obi-Wan called back, scared that his shields had slipped without his knowledge.

/It is alright, Padawan. Your shields faltered after you collapsed. I have tried not to invade your privacy but some of your thoughts have leaked through the bond. Although I have to admit that I am glad that I was able to hear that last thought that you had. You need to stop thinking that you need to live up to certain expectations. And I will help you, but for right now please try not to live up to any expectations. Now. You need rest; come on./

Qui-Gon gently pulled his apprentice forward into the cabin. Obi-Wan allowed his Master to sit him on the sleep couch and pull off his boots. The student helped his master by listlessly pulling off his utility belt. Those chores done, Obi-Wan flopped back on the bed, thoroughly exhausted. After straightening up the teen's belongings, Qui-Gon sat next to him on the bed.

"Now, Padawan, I want you to sleep. I will wake up for the late meal and then tomorrow we will land on-planet."

"What planet, Master?"

"Patience, little one. Now is the time for sleeping." Qui-Gon gently laid a hand on the child's forehead. Soon Obi-Wan felt gentle, calming waves press into his psyche and within moments the apprentice fell into another deep sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next thing that the teen remembered was once again his Master. The gentle voice of the man who had given him so much was calling for him to wake up. The smell in the air indicated that that a meal was ready, so Obi-Wan dragged himself out of bed, only to satisfy his stomach's demands.

Walking towards the kitchen area, Obi-Wan suddenly remember that Qui-Gon wanted to discuss everything that had been going on. The Padawan was still pretty tired and he just did not want to explain everything. Especially since he still could not see why it was so wrong. It definitely went too far, but he was struggling to understand why his mentor was obsessing over this. He just needed to know how to better balance his life at the Temple. No big deal. But apparently it was. And the student knew that Qui-Gon would not let this go on without a talk. Not if they were going into a mission.

Mentally preparing for yet another conversation, the Padawan walked into the communal area of the ship. But what he found, for some reason, surprised him. His Master had set up a very elaborate dinner. There were at least three different dishes and they all smelled delicious.

"Ah, excellent. You are awake. I hope that you are hungry." Obi-Wan just nodded, still a little stunned by the dinner. "Good. Then why don't you have a seat while I finish setting the table."

"Do you need help, master?"

"No thank you, Obi-Wan. Just have a seat and relax." The Padawan did as his master requested, while Qui-Gon put the last few bowls on the table. Within minutes, everything was set up and Qui-Gon instructed his charge to dig in. Finding that he really was quite hungry, Obi-Wan had no problem following his Master's directions.

But all throughout the meal, Obi-Wan was worried about the conversation he knew was coming. However, Qui-Gon just seemed content to enjoy a quiet meal with his student. And as the dinner played out, it became obvious that the Master was not going to push the issue until after the Padawan ate a nutritious meal. Content with this fact, Obi-Wan focused solely on enjoying the meal.

When he had eaten his fill, Obi-Wan verbally expressed his satisfaction over the meal. It was not the first time the fourteen-year old was grateful that his Master was such an amazing cook. The apprentice then helped his master clean up from dinner.

Obi-Wan was almost getting hopeful that his Master would leave him alone for the night, but Qui-Gon dashed that idea as soon as everything was washed and put away.

"Come Padawan. I think that we need to talk."

Grudgingly following his Master, Obi-Wan sat in the common area on one of the many couches, next to his mentor.

"Now, Padawan. Do you know why there is a problem with your current line of thinking?"

Knowing what his master was referring to, the apprentice answered truthfully and without thought. "You think that I need to stop trying to hold myself up to a standard that is well-above that of my agemates."

"But do you believe that?"

Obi-Wan stopped, suddenly realizing the mistake that he made. He had not been paying attention and he had said what he really thought, letting on the fact that he did not believe that.

"Padawan?" Not knowing what to say, Obi-wan just stayed silent. "Padawan. Why don't you tell me what YOU think? I am not concerned about being right or wrong, I just want to know your feelings on the matter."

Knowing that telling the truth would be the only way to end this, Obi-Wan told him. "Master. I know that you said that I should not be treated any different than any of the other students my age, but I don't believe that. I have to be better than my agemates."

"Why, Padawan?"

"BECAUSE YOU ARE BETTER!!!!!!"

Qui-Gon just let that admission sit between them for a moment before replying. "Padawan. I can understand your wanting to live up to my standard, but I am a Jedi Master. You cannot hope to live up to my standard at the age of 14. Nor should you try to be the best in your age group because I am ranked fairly high in mine. You need to be your own person."

"No, Master. That is not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?"

"I mean that you deserve an above-average student. You deserve the best. It is just not easy to be the best, but I am worthy of being your Padawan. I am! It just takes a lot to prove it. But I will, if you let me." Exhausted and praying that this would be the end of this, Obi-Wan bowed his head, waiting for his Master's response.

"Obi-Wan. Oh, Obi-Wan." The student was shocked at the heart-brokenness in his master's voice. It is not like it was big deal, right?

The next thing the teen knew he was being drawn into a tight hug. It was oddly comforting, even though his spine was quite twisted up. Qui-Gon seemed to understand this and shifted his student so that the teen was sitting sideways on his lap. A feeling of embarrassment swept over the adolescent, but he was too comfortable to voice his concern. Plus, he really did not think that Qui-Gon would let him go, considering how tight he was holding him.

"Padawan. Never, ever think that," Qui-Gon eventually said in a harsh undertone. "There is no one better suited to be my Padawan. And it has nothing to do with how well you perform in your classes or how you compare to your peers. Do you know what that special thing is?" Obi-Wan shook his head, not having any idea as to the answer. "Because of who you are. You, my Padawan, are pure light. And that shows what a true Jedi you are. Everything else, the academics, the lightsaber training, the Force control; all of that is learned in your apprenticeship. It is what you WILL learn under me. You should not worry about everything that you will learn from me, in time. All an apprentice that your age truly needs is the light of the Force. And that, my child, is something that you have in abundance. And even if you didn't, there is still no other person that I would want for my Padawan. There is no replacement for you no matter how bad you are at anything. As long as you stay true to yourself I will always want you for the amazing person that you are. After all, what kind of father would I be if I didn't want my own son?"

That made Obi-Wan pause. He knew that Qui-Gon cared, even loved him, but he had never thought that his Master saw him as a son. Pulling back slightly, Obi-Wan looked his Master in the eye, needing to make sure that Qui-Gon was sincere. The teen found all the sincerity that he ever needed in his Master's eyes. Qui-Gon just let his apprentice study him, seemingly knowing why his boy was looking at him. Once Obi-Wan felt that his Master was telling the truth, he dropped his gaze while starting to ponder his Master's words. He looked back up when he felt Qui-Gon place a gentle kiss on the top of his head.

"Do you believe me now, Padawan?" Obi-Wan nodded. "Good. I am glad that you believe me. But what is going to happen when we go back to the Temple? How are you going to respond to work? Are you going accept you limits or push yourself beyond them?"

The Padawan thought about that for a bit. He knew what the "right" answer was, but he knew that he could not give it unless he honestly believed that. There was a part of him that could not let go of the idea of having to be the best. Part of him could just no believe that he did not have to push himself to the extreme. In the past every time that he tried to stop himself from going beyond his limits, that one part of him just keep saying why he needed to continue, why he needed to be the best and why Qui-Gon would not want him otherwise. And now, even though he had evidence to the contrary, he still found that one part of him was still there.

"Master…I don't know. I believe you, but I just can't stop my brain from telling me that I need to do everything. I don't know how I will be able to cope when we go home. But I promise to try and accept my limits."

"It is good that you are willing to try, Obi-Wan. And I understand that it will not be easy to change your thinking in a matter of days, or even weeks. But please understand that until we can help you get over your insecurities, I want to monitor your work load. I am not willing to risk your health again because you are doing too much work. So once we are back at the Temple I expect a detailed list of all your homework assignments." Obi-Wan nodded, unsurprised that Qui-Gon was requesting this. "You understand why I am doing this, don't you Padawan? This is not a punishment. I am only looking out for your best interests."

"I know, Master," Obi-wan replied, content in the knowing that someone was caring for him. Master and Padawan each pulled the other closer, reveling in the loving bond that tied them together.

To Be Continued in the Epilogue…

Thanks for reading. And I love reviews...


	6. Epilogue

Wow. I did not mean for this to take me two months to post. Sorry. Unfortunately, the theatre recently took over my life and I just got it back today. Anyway, thank you to all of my readers and reviewers. The support has been wonderful and I hope that everyone enjoys the end.

Epilogue

"Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan! Wake up! We will be landing in a few minutes."

The Padawan in question opened his eyes and started to get off of his sleep couch, despite his body's numerous protests. Normally he would have hesitated getting up, but he was very interested in where they were going and the fact that they were landing on this mysterious planet in less than an hour was enough to get him out of bed and into the cockpit. Obi-Wan padded on the cold floor until he reached his destination. Finding the door open, the teen walked in to find his Master at the controls, preparing to land on the planet looming in the narrowing distance.

" So who are you and what have you done with my Padawan? Because my apprentice would certainly not be awake and out of bed after only calling him one time," Qui-Gon joked, a broad smile on his face.

"Very funny, Master," the teen replied with a similar smile on his face as he flopped on the co-pilot's chair. "So are you going to tell me where we are, Master?"

"We are in space, Obi-Wan."

"Master," Obi-Wan exclaimed with a definite whiny tone in his voice.

"A Jedi does not whine, Padawan" came the critique the teen knew was coming.

"Master, sooner or later you are going to have to tell me where we are going and why."

"Yes, Padawan. But it could be later," came the sly reply.

Giving up in frustration, Obi-Wan just waited as his Master began landing procedures. A few minutes later, the starship touched down. Looking out of the viewscreen, Obi-Wan found that they were in a forest. Tall tress surrounded the area and there were all forms of plant and animal life imaginable. There also was not any civilization that the young Jedi could see. This made him even more confused. What kind of mission were they on? Feeling his Master's hand on his shoulder, Obi-Wan turned away from the view and glanced up into Qui-Gon's blue gaze.

"Go get dressed, Padawan. And pack all of your things. We will not be back to the ship for a while." Obi-Wan hurried to comply with his Master's request, hoping that he would get some answers when they left the ship.

His tasks done, Obi-Wan met his Master at the exit hatch in record time. Qui-Gon had his own survival pack and had a very calm look on his face. Without a word, Qui-Gon draped his arm around the teen's shoulders and led him down the ramp into the forest. After the Master secured the ship, the two started walking deeper in to the forest.

For a time, Obi-Wan forgot all about this impending mission and just focused on his surroundings. It was just the right temperature and the slight breezes were just enough to stir the branches. The Padawan felt a strange sense of calm wash over him as the two walked on. Qui-Gon also seemed to be at peace with where they were.

After a ten-minute walk, Master and Padawan arrived at a small cottage that overlooked part of the wood. It was a stone cabin with a wooden door and shutters surrounding glass windows. The structure was tiny, but, Obi-Wan thought, it would be a nice sized place for two or three people.

Qui-Gon led the teen up to the door, which only heightened his student's curiosity. Why were they here? Was this part of the mission? He looked to his master for the answers that he sought, but once again received none. But Qui-Gon seemed perfectly in control of the situation.

The apprentice watched as his mentor reached into his cloak and pulled something small out of one of the pockets. The elder Jedi then moved to the door and fiddled with the lock until it gave way. The door creaked as it opened, revealing a few pieces of overstuffed furniture and a few other wooden doors that led to other areas of the cottage. It was very quaint, but Obi-Wan was still confused. Especially since it seemed that there was no one in the cottage.

"What do you think, Obi-Wan?"

"It is very nice, Master. But why are we here," Obi-Wan asked, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice.

"Ah. I suppose that I can't put off telling you anymore. We are on Dubellapperar."

Dubellapperar? But that made no sense. Dubellapperar was a small moon that orbited Trarill. The entire moon was set up as a nature preserve. There were cottages spread out all over the moon, but they were small and set up for the sole purpose to help fund the preserve.

The Master knelt down then to meet his student's eyes, breaking Obi-Wan's concentration. "Do you truly still believe that we are here on a mission, Padawan?"

Well, what else was he supposed to think?

"Obi-Wan, we are here on vacation. There is no mission, no work, just relaxation. The healers and I agree that you need time to fully recuperate from the stress that you put on your body. And that recuperation will probably be best done away from the Temple. So we are cleared to be here until I feel that you are ready to go back. But I will warn you, all of this has worn me out and I will be needing at least two weeks to recover myself," Qui-Gon ended with a smile.

Truly happy and overwhelmed that someone cared enough about him to take him on a vacation, Obi-Wan just threw his arms around his Master's neck.

"I take it that you are okay with this then, Obi-Wan." The apprentice just nodded. "Excellent. Now come, let us see all the different ways that we can recuperate."

So walking into the cottage, Master and Padawan were able to shed everything and simply relax in the presence of each other. And, Obi-Wan, who had put himself through hell, was finally able to be at peace.

The End

A/N-I am toying with the idea of doing a vignette series on what happens during their vacation on Dubellapperar. It might be awhile before I can get it up and I do have another SW story that I am working on typing up. So look for that in the future. Thanks again and please review.


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